Cushioning device



April 13, 1937. C, W GREEN-"LL 2,077,233

CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Feb, 8, 1935 INVENTOR.- CHARLES W,v qREEN/l/LL ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITE-D STATES PATENT" OFFICE ousmoNnvG nevica .,Cliarles W. Greenhill, NewzYork, N.-'Y. Application February s, 193s, serial No. 5,526

1 claim. A(ci. 15s-11a) This invention relates to cushioning devices such asl seat pads and `the like articles, and methods of making the same.

i An object of this invention is to provide a cushioning device of the character described,

having a plurality of air cells and a highly improved and economical method for providing such air cells. A

'A further object of this invention is to\ provide a chair pad of the characterdescribed, so constructed asto provide ample support and having a channel therein to minimize perspiration and permit circulation of Y A still further object of this invention is to provide an improved and durable cushioning device of the character described. which shall be cornparatively inexpensive to manufacture, comfortable in use. and withall practical and eilicient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in' the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exempliiied in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claim.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a chair pad illustrating a cushioning device made in accordance with my invention, with parts in cross-section to show the interior construction;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1; i I

Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the construction of the core used in making one of the air cells; a

y Fig. 5 is a partial, perspective view of another core used in makingthe air cell; Y

Flg.6isatopplanviewofanalrcellmade away; and Y Fig. I is a topplanview of an aircell section made in accordance with my invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, III

invention, here shown for the purpose of illustrationlin the form of a chair or seat pad. 'I'he pad ciomprlsesH-a sheet II 'of cardboard-.or the like stii Mounted on-.the cardboard II are a pair of air cell sections I2, hereinafter :trom` the core shown in Flg. 4 with pmt broken` designates a cushioning device embodyingV the described in greater detail. 'Ihe sections I2 are preferably placed on the cardboard in diverging relation -to one another for a purpose presently to appear. Y n

Disposed about the sections I2 are y,masses `or layers I4 of cotton, felt or other soft material,

covering the top, sides and ends of saidsections. y

Covering the cardboard Il and the masses Il is a seat cover I5 of felt. cloth, leatherette, velour or other suitable covering material. The covering I5 has a bottom portion I6 contacting the underside of the'cardboard II, portions Il and I8 covering the two separate layers I4 which are disposed about the -two sections I2, and a portion I5 contacting the top of the cardboard II and forming .a triangle at the longitudinal mid-section of the' pad, and separating the two diverging cushioning portions thereof. A channel 2li is thus formed between the two sides of the chair pad, for air circulation to provide comfort for the occupant.

TheA sections I2 are similar and each comprises a bottom wall 25, a top wall 26 preferably parallel to the bottom wall, downwardly and outwardly divergig end walls 28, downwardly and outwardly diverging side walls 29, and a plurality of downwardly and inwardly converging partitions 30 dividing said section into a. plurality of airA spaces or pockets 3l. The sections i2 may be made of any suitable resilient Amaterial such as a latex composition, preferably one which may readily dry without requiring any vulcanization and which isnot tacky. The sections I2 may be made preferably in the following manner:

A plurality of cores or hollowl bodies 35 are made from cardboard, paper, or other suitable sheet material. In Fig. 4 there is shown a core 35 made -of sheet cardboard cut from a single blank and creased. folded and pasted into suitable shape. As shown in Fig. 4, the core 35has a flat relatively wide .bottom wall, a short and relatively narrow top wall, and downwardly and outwardly diverging side and end walls. The core 35 is completely enclosed and hollow.

In Fig. 5 there is shown another core 36 likewise made of cardboard and being completely enclosed and hollow but having a wider and shorter top wall 3'I'and a narrower and longer bottom wall 33. The core 35 has downwardly and outwardly diverging 'end walls 39 but inwardly and downwardly converging side walls 40.

Eachjs'ection I2"may` benade with two cores 35 between which there is interposed a complementary core 36. Preferably thecores 35 and 36 are rst individually dipped in the latex composition, then placed together, as shown in Fig. 7, and again dipped together several times in the latex composition, and then allowed to dry, thus .forming a section having three air spaces or pockets 3|, the bottom and top walls 25 and 26,-

the side walls 29, end walls 28 and the partitions 30. The latex or rubber composition completely enclosing each of the cardboard hollow cores and 36 retains the air within the cells, so that air cushions are thus formed. After some use the cardboard cores 35 and 36 will be crushed and crumple or vbreak up within"'theV spaces 3|, the cores 35 and 36 merely serving as a mold for forming the latex or rubber cell.

It will be noted that by making the members 35 and 36 with inclined side and end walls no vertical walls are presented in the finished chair pad whereby the pad is comfortable in use be fore the cores arel broken yup. If desired the cores 35 and 36 may be placed together before the i'lrst dipping with the center core 3 6 spaced from the members 35 on opposite sides thereof by rubber cement or in any. other suitable manner whereby spaces are left between the adjacent walls of said cores. The cores 35 and 36 thus attached together, may then be dipped in the latex composition one or more times to produce a casing of any desired thickness.

It will be noted .that the two sections of the chair pad, looking at Fig. 1, arecloser together adjacent the rear edge 40 of the pad and are further apart at the front edge 4| of the pad. The

two sides of the chair pad suport the thighs and buttocks of the occupant and the channel 20 permits air to circulate, thereby reducing perspira.-

or other devices may be made with air cells con-l structed inthe manner described hereinabove.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and which is well adapted to meet the conditionsof practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A multi-cell cushioning device comprising a section having a plurality of air pockets of substantially trapezoidal cross-section longitudinally and transversely arranged with one of said trapezoidal pockets adjacent an inverted trapezoidal pocket.

' CHARLES W. GREENHILL. 

